There is no shortage of advice for women who want a more level playing field at work:
We should learn to accept criticism, stop apologizing, change our tone of voice, learn how to negotiate, sit at the table, and "lean in," yet still find that elusive work-life balance at the same time.
But we will never reach equality with only one gender putting forth all the effort.
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In fact, studies have shown that the best people to promote both gender and racial diversity at work are . . . white men.
Programs like the recently announced UNWomen initiative #HeForShe campaign aim to raise awareness that women's issues are men's issues too, but once your awareness is raised, then what?
The dismal numbers of women in top positions at many companies (only 4.6% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women), the lack of women in Silicon Valley, and the persistent pay gap (women still earn 78 cents for every dollar men earn) can seem insurmountable. But there are small, yet impactful things that every man can do in the name of equality. Here are five ways to get started:
1-If You Have It, Take Parental Leave (And Encourage Other Men To Do So Too)
It's pretty well known that the U.S. policy on paid parental leave is dismal. Out of 185 countries reviewed in a 2014 report by International Labor Organization, only two—the United States and Papua New Guinea—did not have public policies for paid maternity leave.
But parental leave isn't just a women's issue, it's a working parent issue. More accurately, it's an issue for everyone, because stressed-out, finically strained employees aren't good for business.
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